"Yosh! Yu's housing problem is solved! As a housewarming celebration, let's have a drinking party tonight!"
"Eh? Senpai Ryūjirō, I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but the fact that my apartment was rented to someone else is at least 80% your fault. Can we just skip it today?"
After dinner, Ryūjirō Kotobuki and Shinji Tokita, with no sense of guilt for their junior's misfortune, immediately announced the good news of another drinking party for tonight!
Miyazawa Yu turned to them with his plate, but his desire to resist wasn't very strong.
Although he had lost his old apartment because of the seniors, being able to live in Grand Blue was an unexpected bonus.
The lost security deposit was a small price to pay. Living with Sister Nanaka was priceless!
"Exactly! And since this is a housewarming party for Yu, I don't have to drink, right? Please, please let me rest for a couple of days!"
Iori Kitahara, who was lying on the table, still processing the fact that he was now roommates with that guy Yu, had no interest in the drinking party.
Instead, he felt a strong sense of familiarity, as if he were living in a boys' high school dorm again.
To commemorate the beautiful life of living alone with his cousin-sisters that he had yet to experience, he felt it was necessary to reject a boys' high school-style drinking party to soothe his young soul.
"Nani! What did you say! How dare you refuse to drink! What kind of club do you think you joined?!"
Hearing this, Shinji Tokita's expression became ferocious as he leaned in close to Iori's face. His righteous and condemning gaze made it seem as if Iori had done something unforgivable.
"Eh?! Isn't it a diving club!?"
"If you know that, then why won't you drink!"
"Diving and drinking have absolutely nothing to do with each other!"
Iori Kitahara's eyes instantly went dark. He was about to say that very thing!
Since he had come to the Pab club, he had been drinking for two days straight! Did a diving club really need to have drinking parties so often?
At this rate, it would be more fitting for the Pab club to change its name to the "Drunkard Club"!
"Iori!"
"Yes! Sister Nanaka! What is it?"
Just as Iori Kitahara was about to reason with Senpai Shinji, Nanaka, who had finished washing the dishes, heard their argument. She clapped her hands to get their attention and spoke with a serious expression.
"Iori! If you go out and wander around at night again today, I will not let you off the hook!"
"?"
Iori Kitahara's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at the serious-looking Sister Nanaka, completely clueless about what was happening.
"Um, Sister Nanaka..."
"Iori, you've been at my place for three days now, you know?"
"K-know what?"
He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. Iori Kitahara's expression became grim.
"Do you know where your room is?"
"..."
CRACK! It was as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind. A healthy and unharmed Iori Kitahara was instantly sent into a flashback of his life.
The scenes of the past few days replayed in his mind: drinking, getting embarrassed, and then drinking heavily and getting even more embarrassed!
But no matter how much he replayed it, he couldn't find a single memory related to Grand Blue!
In other words, most of the map of Grand Blue, which was Iori Kitahara's new home base, was completely blacked out by a "fog of war" in his mind.
"Hmph! So that's how it is?"
He pursed his lips into a smile, tilting his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. But even so, two lines of clear tears still involuntarily rolled down his cheeks.
"...Ever since I came here, I haven't had a single good night's sleep."
"Huh? As long as you go to class, you'll definitely get enough sleep!"
Ryūjirō Kotobuki looked at Iori's haggard face, confused. At college, you never run out of sleep, do you?
"Damn it! Apologize to the parents who paid your tuition fees!"
Hearing such an unbelievable remark, Iori Kitahara sternly criticized Senpai Ryūjirō's bad influence on young people.
But to be fair, since he arrived at Grand Blue, his range of activity had been limited to the main hall and the bathroom. He had never once been to his room.
"That's right! I know you want to let loose after going to college, but going out for three nights in a row is absolutely too much! You will sleep at home tonight!"
She raised a single finger to reiterate her point. This time, Nanaka was determined. No matter what Iori said, she wouldn't back down.
Iori Kitahara wanted to explain that he hadn't gone out voluntarily, but...
He turned to look at Ryūjirō Kotobuki and Shinji Tokita. He tentatively asked, "So I won't be joining you tonight. Is that okay?"
"Since it's Nanaka's request..."
"Then there's nothing we can do. Hey, Yu! Let's go pack up the equipment. We're going to the mixer tonight!"
Ryūjirō Kotobuki shouted at Miyazawa Yu, who had volunteered to wash the dishes. He got up and shrugged, signaling to Iori that he could do whatever he wanted this afternoon.
"Huh? Do we really have to go drink?"
"It's okay~ Go ahead, Yu! I'll go clean up your room for you first!"
"Since Sister Nanaka said so... I understand."
Miyazawa Yu took off his rubber dishwashing gloves and walked to the main hall to follow the two seniors. He was going to help them pack the diving equipment.
Although it wasn't his job, since he had decided to live at their place, helping out was one of the most important ways to increase his favorability!
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I can't go drinking tonight. Yu, you have to have a great time!"
"You bastard, your face is so smug!"
Miyazawa Yu's eye twitched. He instantly appeared behind Iori and locked him in a chokehold.
For some reason, every time he saw Iori's punchable face, he couldn't help but attack.
This was probably what people called being "incompatible."
After all, there was a deep moral gap between a good young man like himself and a naked man like Iori! It was completely normal for them to dislike each other!
On the other side, Shinji and Ryūjirō, who had walked to the door, turned around after hearing what Iori said.
But their expressions didn't show much disappointment that they couldn't get a new person. Instead, they were surprisingly calm, even with a hint of pity.
"It's okay. It can't be helped. Let's go, Yu."
"That's right. Anyway, tonight's mixer is with Oumi Women's University. We'll have enough people there."
"!!!"
A mixer with a women's university! And it was Oumi Women's University, which was full of hot girls!
The ferocious expression on Iori Kitahara's face as he struggled out of the chokehold suddenly froze. It then seamlessly switched to a shocked expression. He was now in a state of superposition, both believing and not believing.
On one hand, he didn't think a yakyuuken club like Pab could ever be invited to a mixer with a popular women's university.
But on the other hand, if it were true, wouldn't he be missing out on a chance to start a perfect college life?
What should he do! Should he believe them?!
"Really?! That's great! Senpai, let's go pack up quickly and leave early! How about I wear a suit today?"
Before Iori Kitahara could finish his internal monologue, a look of pure delight flashed in Miyazawa Yu's eyes.
The gender ratio in the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Izu University was a terrifying 50:1!
In a situation where there were too many wolves and not enough meat, trying to find a girlfriend at his own school was basically a death wish.
If he even touched one of the three beautiful girls in his department, he would probably be attacked by the entire class. He might even get ambushed and knocked out on the street and then be tied up and thrown into the deep sea of Izu.
Therefore, if he wanted to achieve his dream of a crystal palace, the all-female Oumi Women's University, which wasn't far from Izu University, was the best option!
He let go of Iori, who was so disgusting he didn't even want to touch him. Miyazawa Yu quickly ran upstairs and changed into a sharp suit. Of course, he also wore his inseparable tracksuit underneath.
"Not bad! The mature style of second and third-year seniors!"
"I see! I've learned a lot!"
With the change of clothes, Miyazawa Yu's tone also became more refined.
As he walked past Iori, he raised an eyebrow and made a slight but audible clicking sound of contempt, as if he were looking at some foul-smelling, non-recyclable trash.
"!!!"
He was being looked down upon!
That guy Miyazawa Yu! He was already so arrogant just because he was going to a mixer. If he came back with a girlfriend...
A cold sweat ran down his forehead. In Iori Kitahara's imagination, Miyazawa Yu was standing in front of him, holding the hand of a beautiful, faceless girl with a perfect body. He looked him up and down.
In the end, that bastard's gaze focused on his "sniper rifle" and he gave a light chuckle. "Heh~ A virgin. How cute!"
"No! Absolutely not!"
He broke free from the illusion. Iori Kitahara was covered in a cold sweat, clutching his chest and panting wildly.
No matter what, until he found a girlfriend himself, he absolutely could not let that scoundrel Miyazawa Yu hunt freely!